THOM MAYNE / ARCHITECT / NEW YORK

How can politics encourage creativity and innovation?With an optimistic vision for the future, governments can advance the power of culture as an essential product of a country. Architecture is an indicator of those cultural aspirations. Innovative art and architecture emerges out of a forward thinking society.

What do you like best about New York?New York City sets itself apart from any other place in the United States, or in the world. New York, to me personally, is a place that epitomises the infinite potential of the city, that most profound creation of humanity. New York City demands from us an attitude of expansiveness; our cities are the location of continuous regeneration, places of infinite possibilities.

What should the world know about your work?Design is a way of seeing the world. When architecture engages in social, cultural, political and ethical currents, it has the potential to transform the way we see the world and our place in it. For me, architecture connects to the human experience and has the potential to impact behaviour and improve everyday life. As architects, the structures we design are embedded with these values.